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Full-Text Articles in Molecular Genetics
New World Nine-Primaried Oscine Relationships: Constructing A Molecular Framework, John Klicka, Kevin P. Johnson, Scott M. Lanyon
New World Nine-Primaried Oscine Relationships: Constructing A Molecular Framework, John Klicka, Kevin P. Johnson, Scott M. Lanyon
Ornithology Program (HRC)
Historically, a paucity of comparative morphological characters has led to much debate regarding relationships within and among the major lineages of New World nine-primaried oscines. More recently, DNA-DNA hybridization studies have provided novel and testable hypotheses of relationships, although no consensus has been reached. For 40 songbird taxa, we obtained 1,929 base pairs (bp) of DNA sequence from the mitochondrial cytochrome-b (894 bp) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (1,035 bp) genes. Phylogenetic analyses confirm the monophyly of this assemblage as traditionally defined. The lineages delineated historically on morphological grounds are retained; finches (Fringillinae) are sister to a well-supported clade …
Evolutionary Patterns Of Morphometrics, Allozymes And Mitochondrial Dna In Thrashers (Genus Toxostoma), Robert M. Zink, Donna L. Dittmann, John Klicka, Rachelle C. Blackwell-Rago
Evolutionary Patterns Of Morphometrics, Allozymes And Mitochondrial Dna In Thrashers (Genus Toxostoma), Robert M. Zink, Donna L. Dittmann, John Klicka, Rachelle C. Blackwell-Rago
Ornithology Program (HRC)
We examined patterns of variation in skeletal morphometrics (29 characters), allozymes (34 loci), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction sites (n = 74) and fragments (n = 395), and mtDNA sequences (1,739 bp from cytochrome b, ND2, ND6, and the control region) among all species of Toxostoma. The phenetic pattern of variation in skeletal morphometrics generally matched traditional taxonomic groupings (based on plumage patterns) with the exceptions of T. redivivum, which because of its large size clusters outside of its proper evolutionary group (lecontei), and T. occelatum, which did not cluster with T. curvirostre. Skull characters contributed highly to species discrimination, suggesting …
Evidence Supporting The Recent Origin And Species Status Of The Timberline Sparrow, John Klicka, Robert M. Zink, Jon C. Barlow, W. Bruce Mcgillivray, Terry J. Doyle
Evidence Supporting The Recent Origin And Species Status Of The Timberline Sparrow, John Klicka, Robert M. Zink, Jon C. Barlow, W. Bruce Mcgillivray, Terry J. Doyle
Ornithology Program (HRC)
The Timberline Sparrow (Spizella taverneri), although originally described as a species, is currently classified as a subspecies of the more widespread Brewer's Sparrow (S. breweri). We investigated the taxonomic status and recent evolutionary history of these species by comparison of both morphological and molecular characters. Morphometric comparisons using 6 external and 18 skeletal measurements show that S. taverneri specimens from two widely separated populations (Yukon and southwestern Alberta, Canada) are indistinguishable with respect to size yet are significantly larger (by 3%) than representatives of several breweri populations. Analysis of 1,413 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for 10 breweri and …